


Poor Things

by dottie_wan_kenobi



Series: the heart's intention [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, James Potter Lives, Lily Evans Potter Lives, M/M, Multi, Owl Post (Harry Potter), POV Lily Evans Potter, Polyamory, Sickfic, the war ended in 1981
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:55:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26056810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dottie_wan_kenobi/pseuds/dottie_wan_kenobi
Summary: Darlings,Beware Prongs and sprog. Harry’s sicked up everywhere, and James is worried he might’ve missed a spot. He also mentioned a headache—wasn’t that the first sign for Harry too?I’m out buying “sick foods” and air fresheners. Why are there so many options? Will you be mad if I buy apple scent?— Sirius x
Relationships: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin/James Potter/Lily Evans Potter
Series: the heart's intention [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1891564
Comments: 3
Kudos: 54





	Poor Things

**Author's Note:**

> I can't think of any warnings, really. This is just a fluffy piece which is the first thing I've finished in a series about these four lovely characters!! In this AU, Voldemort is killed for real on Halloween 1981. This is set in 1983, around August/September.
> 
> I'm not polyamorous myself, and what I've written here is based on research I've done. If anything here is wrong or insensitive, please let me know and I'll fix/change it right away!

Darlings,

Beware Prongs and sprog. Harry’s sicked up everywhere, and James is worried he might’ve missed a spot. He also mentioned a headache—wasn’t that the first sign for Harry too?

I’m out buying “sick foods” and air fresheners. Why are there so many options? Will you be mad if I buy apple scent?

— Sirius x

Pads,

If you’re buying apple scent, buy apples instead. Get Haz some animal crackers as well. Tell James to drink lots of water. My love to all.

Moony

Sirius x,

Why get apple scent when you could just get apples? I demand jasmine scent. And do NOT spray it anywhere until you’re sure everything is clean!

I’m feeling a bit peaky myself, so if you don’t mind, could you stop by the deli and get some sandwiches for supper? 

Please ask Rem if he can meet up with me tonight at 6, floo home? Thank you!

Lily x

Lily x,

Why get jasmine scent when we could just get jasmines?

Bakery too?

Remus sends his love. I’ll let him know.

— Sirius x

Sirius x,

We have enough flowers as it is. But if you see any….

Yes please. Surprise us.

Love back!

Lily x

Moony,

Apples on their way. Do you want your regular sandwich tonight, or shall we switch it up?

Love back from Lily and myself xx. She says meet up with her at 6 and you’ll floo home. Can’t wait to see you both.

— Pads x

Pads,

Surprise me? Something I haven’t had before but you think I’ll like. Thank you, love.

Prongs and baby not good company?

Moony

Moony,

I’ll look for chocolate options xx

Better than the Muggles at least. I’ll tell you later. Get back to work!

— Pads x

Fifteen minutes before six, there’s a knock on the door of Lily’s office. She looks up, grinning when she sees Remus leaning against the doorway, a bag from his bookstore dangling from one hand.

He comes in, shutting the door behind him, and circles around the corner of her desk. Her hand comes up to rest on his shoulder, his free hand on the desk as he leans down. They meet in the middle, a sweet kiss that feels bolstering after a long day of arguing with old, and as Sirius would say, crotchety wizards.

“Hello, love,” she says when they pull away. “Good day at work?”

“Bit boring, really,” he replies, shifting to lean against the wall behind her. Without having to think about it, one of his feet sticks out closer to her, and she moves her own to press their ankles together. “And yours? Think of any new charms today?”

“We’re working on one that’ll have bedsheets doing themselves up. Bit boring,” she repeats, giving him a teasing look, “but we’re getting close to done.”

He’d matched her look, but now he frowns. “What happened to the wardrobe sorting charm you were going to present?”

“Ugh.” She leans back in her chair, closing her eyes. “They didn’t like it. Said it was ‘pointless and frivolous’. Which is just ridiculous, I mean do they not know how relieving it would be to have a self-sorting wardrobe? How much easier mornings could be?”

“Clearly not,” he snorts. “Anyone who can’t see how that would be helpful is—”

“Dumb,” Lily says, thinking of a few co-workers in particular.

Remus chuckles. “I was going to say unappreciative of your genius, but yes, that too.”

“Both,” she agrees. “Definitely both.”

He hums. “Sometime soon, they’ll realize they should just listen to you.”

“Like you three did?” She asks, and they both laugh again. When they wind down, she gestures to the bag. “What’d you bring home?”

He stands a little straighter, pulling out a small children’s book with a brilliantly green and brown cover. “Something for Harry. I thought he might like a new bedtime story while he’s feeling sick.”

Handing it over, she takes it and flips through. It’s about a deer making friends with a little witch, with the cutest art she’d seen in a while. “He’s going to love this. You should read it to him tonight.”

“Mm, we’ll have to see if he’s feeling up for it. Wouldn’t be much of a present if he can’t remember it, right?”

Lily laughs, handing the book back and watching as he puts it back away. “He’s three, Rem. He won’t remember anything we get him, not for a few more years.”

“He remembers that broom Sirius bought him.” Remus rolls his eyes fondly, then checks his watch. “Oh, it’s six oh-three. Ready to go home?”

“Very.” Standing, she has to pause a moment to stave off lightheadedness. It’s gone as quickly as it came, and she pushes past it, cleaning up her papers and checking her purse to make sure she has everything she needs. Keys to the house, her wallet and identification cards, the special fountain pen the Potters gave her for her last birthday. Satisfied it’s all there, she tucks her chair back into her desk, and reaches out, linking her fingers with Remus’s. “Come on, love.”

Together, they leave her office and head to the elevators. They don’t talk much, just a few little comments here and there as they step into the Atrium, find a floo, and go home.

Their floo is downstairs in the den, so after a few moments of wiping the powder off and setting their things down, they head towards the kitchen, where Lily hears Sirius’s and James’s voices. Remus goes ahead of her, giving her a moment to blink away a few lingering black spots in the edges of her vision. She must be getting sick, she realizes, and wonders why she hasn’t felt the headache both Harry and James have complained about.

Deciding to think about it later, she steps into the kitchen, grinning when she finds Sirius and Remus kissing, chaste despite the way Remus’s hand cups the back of Sirius’s neck. Sitting at the island is James, his forehead pressed to the counter, and Harry lays similarly slumped over in his high chair next to James. She heads towards them, laying her hand on Harry’s back briefly and wincing at how warm he is. They’ll have to give him a bath tonight, she thinks, and hopes one of the others will be okay with doing it. Probably Remus, if Sirius has had to care for both boys today.

Lily slips to James’s other side, and since she’s already not feeling well, wraps her arms around his middle, laying her head on his shoulder.

“Lils?” He mumbles.

“Hey, Jamie,” she replies, pressing a few kisses to his bare skin. “How are you feeling?”

His voice is thick with congestion when he says, “Like death under a heating charm.”

“Oh, you poor thing.” She sits up, smiling when she sees he’s turned his head to look at her. Scratching her fingers through his hair, she glances up and sees Sirius and Remus looking at them. “What?”

“Don’t mind us,” Sirius says teasingly, leaning back into Remus’s chest. “We’re just basking in our amazing family, that’s all.”

“Just amazing?” James asks. “What happened to me being the most wonderful man in the world, huh? Seems like a step down.”

“I’m not going to rise to the bait,” Sirius says, sounding very self-aware. “Because you’re sick and it would be mean to argue with a sick person.”

Remus snorts. “Can we talk about this later? I’m starving, and Lily, you must be too. Pads, which one of these is Lily’s?”

They fall into routine quickly, Remus helping dole out meals to everyone, even James, who picks at his in between pitiful whines, and Harry, who was upset to be awoken but thankfully quiets down once Lily and Remus have greeted him. Lily hands him little bites while they all talk, recounting their days. Sirius’s story is especially fun—he complains about how hard it was to send his owl around after he’d gone to the Muggle store in town without being caught, and about how awful the store-goers were. Remus talks about his own customers, and he and Sirius tease each other about switching places next time.

James tells them about earlier, when Harry was worse off, and how they’d taken a nap a bit before the usual time. He and Sirius are as annoyed as Remus was to hear that her charm had been turned down. “I’ll go and talk to them,” James vows, then sneezes three times in a row. Harry reaches over and pats James’s shoulder sympathetically.

“Dada sick,” he says to them, a wise look in his little eyes.

“We know, honey,” she says. “And you too?”

“Yeah,” he pouts. “Mum, my head hurts.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Haz,” Remus coos, stuffing his last bite into his mouth and standing up. He comes around the island, and Harry quickly has his arms up, reaching for him. 

Remus lifts him up, and Harry throws his arms around Remus’s neck, hugging tightly. When Remus pulls back a little to feel his forehead, Harry whines, “Daaaaa.”

“I have to see if you’re too hot, baby.” To the others, he says, “He’s a bit too warm, I think.”

Sirius frowns, sharing a look with Lily. There aren’t many healing potions that are safe for toddlers, and there’s only so much they can do to ease his pain. “Maybe time for a bath?”

“Bath?” Harry repeats, perking up a little.

“If Papa will help me,” Remus says, glancing to Sirius.

“Ha! Alright, come on then.” He stands, pressing quick kisses to Lily’s and James’s cheeks before meeting Remus.

Harry beams. “Papa!”

“Haha, hi, love.”

Lily grins, watching the way Harry lights up, clutching Remus’s sweater in one hand and reaching the other out to grab Sirius’s fingers.

“They’re wonderful, huh,” James says to her, leaning his head on his palm. “You all are.”

“We lucked out,” she agrees, heart swelling. She turns to him, noticing the bleary look in his eyes he always gets when he’s exhausted. Though it’s early yet, she could go for some sleep too—the day has just dragged on too long, and she’s still feeling a bit sick to her stomach. “You wanna lay down?”

Any other day and he’d say no, wanting to make sure he kissed Harry goodnight. But instead, he says, “Mmm, yeah,” his eyes slipping shut.

Lily laughs softly, cleaning up a little bit before pulling him to his feet. Thankfully their bedroom is downstairs, and it’s not too hard to guide him there, nor does she have to help him change into pajamas, since he’s already wearing them. She slips off her work clothes, replacing them with one of Sirius’s shirts, and follows him to bed. They curl up together, the only sounds their breathing and the distant voices of their lovers and son, and it’s really very easy to drift off to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this, please consider leaving a comment. Thank you! <3


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